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Topic: I'm about to lose my cool!
| Author | Message |
| Keith | Posted – 5/18/2008 4:48:47 PM | show profile I'm in search of a job in journalism for the last 2 years. After going to many recruitment agencies and headhunters, they all tell me the same thing: THERE ARE NO JOBS IN JOURNALISM! These jobs are extremely hard to find, and YOUR QUALIFICATIONS DON'T MATTER? So how do I "brand" myself to get a job if everyone has the same qualifications and skills as I do? I'm seriously about to cry! I feel like a f***ing idiot for majoring in journalism. I NEED A JOB BADLY!. What steps shold I take to definately get one (steps with proven results)? |
| Grateful Deadline | Posted – 5/18/2008 5:03:47 PM | show profile Why are you going to agencies and headhunters for a job in journalism? Why are you not sending a meticulously written cover letter, targeted resume and appropriate clips directly to the places where you'd like to work? I ask because journalism is not generally a business that uses headhunters or agencies, except for some upper-level management positions. |
| Keith | Posted – 5/18/2008 5:11:02 PM | show profile I did send out resumes and cover letters. . . My first year out of college, all I did was send out targeted resumes and cover letters to magazines without any responses. I usually check the journalism job boards and apply to jobs there as well as mail out clips, resumes and cover letters. But since that hasn't worked, I decided to go to recruiters and headhunters for some help. I'm at a lose right now, and even contemplating taking out loans to go back to school and major in something else. That is why I really need some no fail procedures to follow in getting a job in journalism, or else I feel like I've wasted time and money to pursue a career in an field where it's impossible to get a foot in the door! |
| jseconds77 | Posted – 5/18/2008 5:43:14 PM | show profile well, in my humble experience I can say: the field consists of larger corps. buying out papers, the internet killing print, and basically....you've chosen a declining field. it's not like nursing, education, or yes, really, being in the field of repossession; look how that field has grown! journalism is who you know, honestly. step 1. simply e-mail said desired job to inquire what qualifications they look for. step 2. check adult ed. classes etc. to see if a class is offered to add additional skill (s) you lack. step 3. realize there is a lot of bs. white house press questions?! ALL pre-arranged to the point that white house staff knows AHEAD of time who to call on, from what publication, and what question they will ask. MAJORITY of the news is HANDED to reporters via press releases. forget old school "what a scoop!" practices. step 4. KNOW that smaller circ. papers WILL pay you 11-13.00/hr. plus lame ass mileage expenses IF you score a gig from them. advancement is slim; do you really wanna be an editor for some dumpy rag any ways? step 5. TRY. if you feel your efforts are fruitless...try once more. step 6. somehow apply your writing skills in a different field. |
| jseconds77 | Posted – 5/18/2008 5:43:17 PM | show profile well, in my humble experience I can say: the field consists of larger corps. buying out papers, the internet killing print, and basically....you've chosen a declining field. it's not like nursing, education, or yes, really, being in the field of repossession; look how that field has grown! journalism is who you know, honestly. step 1. simply e-mail said desired job to inquire what qualifications they look for. step 2. check adult ed. classes etc. to see if a class is offered to add additional skill (s) you lack. step 3. realize there is a lot of bs. white house press questions?! ALL pre-arranged to the point that white house staff knows AHEAD of time who to call on, from what publication, and what question they will ask. MAJORITY of the news is HANDED to reporters via press releases. forget old school "what a scoop!" practices. step 4. KNOW that smaller circ. papers WILL pay you 11-13.00/hr. plus lame ass mileage expenses IF you score a gig from them. advancement is slim; do you really wanna be an editor for some dumpy rag any ways? step 5. TRY. if you feel your efforts are fruitless...try once more. step 6. somehow apply your writing skills in a different field. |
| candylilacs | Posted – 5/18/2008 6:04:49 PM | show profile You are trying to find a job in a RECESSION. It's going to be *tough*. Not to mention with all the corporate consolidation and layoffs, it's practically a hiring freeze all over! What beat do you cover? Are you trying to get a coveted entertainment/features gig? If so, give that scenario up. Practically impossible to get unless it's a small paper where you will be covering quilting bees and tractor pulls (no kidding! I've done that.) Freelance all you can before you get a job because a) you need money and b) you need contacts and c) you need any kind of experience. You have two routes to get a job in journalism right now. 1. Multimedia. Learn everything you can about CSS, Dreamweaver, Adobe Photoshop, blogging platforms, digital video and audio production and editing (not hard) and BS your way into an online media job. You're young and fresh out of college, this is probably your edge. 2. Business. Few who go into journalism like to write about business, but it's one of the few beats that tends to be more recession-resistant. Why? If you get dumped by the daily, there are all sorts of biz journals looking to hire. And if you work at a biz weekly, newspapers and other dailies will still hire you because you have a unique skill set. That's all I can offer you. It has worked for many people including myself. Good luck! c. ------ Check out www.mswritesguide.blogspot.com! |
| Keith | Posted – 5/18/2008 6:24:21 PM | show profile Candylilacs, I actually own the Adobe CS3 Suite Master Collection, I just haven't gotten around to teaching myself how to use it. I bought some books on them and I will study my a** off all this week! As far as audio and digital editing goes, what programs should I know in order to bs my way into a online media position? |
| foodlit | Posted – 5/18/2008 6:25:39 PM | show profile Okay, I am a headhunter, and headhunters cannot help you find a job in journalism because headhunters do not help people find jobs. We are paid by companies to find people that they cannot easily find themselves, people who have very specific backgrounds, usually that means people doing almost exactly the same job that the headhunter is trying to fill, ideally someone from a direct competitor, someone who is currently working. If you are trying to get into the field, a headhunter cannot help you. So, help yourself. Yes, its' competitive, but network all you can, try temping while you are looking, maybe you could land something permanent that way, it often happens. Set up informational interviews. You may need to move to a smaller market, as NYC is one of the biggest and most competitive markets out there. To get going, you may have better luck at a smaller publication maybe in a smaller town. |
| candylilacs | Posted – 5/18/2008 9:49:05 PM | show profile It's not hard to learn. Go on JournalismJobs.com and look under Online Media and whatever requirements it has for an online producer or multimedia team member...learn it. If you have Adobe CS3, you probably already have video editing capability. As for audio, you can use all sorts of programs, including free ones (like audacity.sourceforge.net.) Use a portable, digital tape recorder and learn how to download it to your computer. Not hard. Anyway, good luck. ------ Check out www.mswritesguide.blogspot.com! |
| Grateful Deadline | Posted – 5/18/2008 11:08:29 PM | show profile >>As far as audio and digital editing goes, what programs should I know in order to bs my way into a online media position?<< There are programs and HTML to know, certainly, but the basics also will be fundamental. Nearly all the jobs you'll find in magazines and online are not pure writing jobs, but involve editing of some type, too. I realize everybody says that posting on a BBS is fast and sloppy, but the sloppy part stands out here, and nobody can't afford let it spill over into a job search -- it's the kiss of death. |
| writesonwater | Posted – 5/19/2008 9:07:47 AM | show profile | email poster Look to the hinterlands. There are jobs at smaller papers and in smaller towns where anyone with a decent attitude and a willingness to work like a horse can get a job. Write your behind off for two years, master every journalistic discipline, swing two bats, even if those around you are sloughing off or producing drivel. Then take those good clips and get the next job up. There is no easy fix for the problem you describe, but I believe going to the hinterlands will get you into your field. If you dare. One of the papers I work at will hire a general assignments writer within the next few months. There's not a stack of qualified resumes on my boss' desk -- probably because the job's general assignments, pays low (in a low cost of living area less than an hour from a major metroplex) and the writer will be asked to complete two stories a day. It's my observation that some writers complain about the lack of jobs but don't want to make it happen by starting somewhere. |
| snappiness | Posted – 5/19/2008 10:37:20 AM | show profile my first journalism job I freelanced for years before I got a staff job. I wrote pieces for a tabloid newsprint weekly in a small town. I was a stringer for a daily in a slightly bigger college town, I covered school board meetings in surrounding villages. I wrote book reviews for that same paper, then parlayed that into doing an occasional book review for the Chicago Tribune. Then I got a job as an assistant editor for a medical book publisher, while still freelancing on the side. I moved to a big city and took a FT job at a bookstore. A year later I got an unpaid/low pay (dont remember) internship with a national monthly, and they hired me after the internship was over. That was my big break, and it was 6 years after I graduated from college. |
| mkelly | Posted – 5/19/2008 10:43:08 AM | show profile GhostWriter, this is the part where the savvy experienced vet (that's me) points out that there are more than 1,000 daily newspapers in this country and most still have job openings from time to time-- you'll just need to take a job in southern Indiana, or exurban LA, or northern Louisiana, or upper Michigan. Places like that, where you get paid crap, work long hours, and gain experience. It's also the part where the wide-eyed newbie (that's you) says you only want to work in a big metro area like New York, Chicago, or Atlanta. Is that about right? |
| Keith | Posted – 5/19/2008 10:51:10 AM | show profile How can I move without an income? Believe me, I would love to move, but must I remind you guys that I'm broke! I can't just pick up and move without any money! I live with my parents because I don't have a job. My only option is to get a job where I live, unfortunatly that is New York City. |
| PluckyPane | Posted – 5/19/2008 11:12:36 AM | show profile ghost, are you working at all? mickey d's? wendys? freelance? part time temping? working for ups handling packages? that's where you're going to have to start saving up the cash. trust me, none of us are trying to be hard on you. we know what it's like to start at the bottom. it's equally hard for those who bought homes and have a family to support but lost their jobs. this is where ingenuity comes in. so you're not finding anything in journallism. ok. look in other industries. this is where opportunities arise. you have zero income which means you are not going from $40-50K to zero like the midlifers who are getting layed off. you can afford to take an entry-level job in another field. what interests you? writing and editing skills are needed in every good candidate in many different fields. did you do well in investigative journalism? look at libraries or even think about taking the police exam because those logical skills will be needed. look outside the realm of journalism for full time work then build your connections on the side. there's nothing wrong with taking a detour from your original plan if it builds toward your goal. c',mon, ghost, you're a gen y'er. since when are gen y'ers limited to one career path? |
| snappiness | Posted – 5/19/2008 11:34:24 AM | show profile For me, the bookstore job was the best because the store had a massive magazine section and stocking that became my job. I got a huge education in all the different magazines and what they run. Look for a job like that, a job that teaches you something about your field. Maybe it's working PT at a police station answering phones or with a health agency or city agency if you want to become a city beat reporter later. Or maybe it's delivering newspapers. Broaden your horizons, but make everything point toward your ultimate goal in some helpful way. |
| jseconds77 | Posted – 5/19/2008 11:37:15 AM | show profile I think I will continue using newspapers to line my snake's cage. ha ha? |
| onmyown | Posted – 5/19/2008 12:00:07 PM | show profile I agree with mkelly. Go somewhere else. How much does it cost to move? Don't you have a friend with a truck? Rents are cheaper in small towns. I've read many, many posts like this and I always think the same thing. "Pick up and move to where the job is." That's what I did, and I stayed there two years before moving on to a major newspaper. Why do so many young people refuse to move for a job? And then lament that there are no jobs? |
| mkelly | Posted – 5/19/2008 12:01:47 PM | show profile If you can't scrape together $1,500 by the end of summer to move somewhere, seriously consider relocating to a Third World country. Rent and the basics in most parts of the US are dirt cheap. If you live with your parents, try borrowing money from them-- bumming money off them is what parents are for, and they know this, and if you're already a college grad and still live at home, most parents would consider $1,500 a small price to pay to get you out of their house anyway. Hell, you can even get a cash-advance for that amount from most credit cards. Just find a way to do it. If you want to make a career in journalism, 'finding a way to do it' is what you'll be doing for the next 40 years anyway. |
| Grateful Deadline | Posted – 5/19/2008 12:03:54 PM | show profile >>My only option is to get a job where I live, unfortunatly that is New York City.<< I don't think so, unless there's something extra-special about you compared with other graduates who *do* leave NYC, and there are plenty of those. Here's what you will need to live outside New York: -- a car -- a roof -- a paycheck The car doesn't need to be fancy. Any running beater will do at first. So budget yourself a couple of thousand for a car, and take pride in the fact that it's yours. As you accumulate money from paychecks, you can get a better car -- figure six months to a year. You will need a deposit to put down on an apartment. Apartment ownership is a NYC thing; you will not be buying an apartment elsewhere, you'll be renting. In some bigger cities, landlords want the first month's rent and an equivalent deposit before they'll let you move in. In smaller cities, the want the first month's rent and a few hundred bucks' deposit. We are not talking about an expensive, bank-breaking proposition. In fact, unless you've been especially acquisitive these last couple of years of living with your parents, you'll be able to stuff your worldly possessions into your car and go; you won't even need an extra couple of hundred dollars to rent a U-Haul. Stop being your own barrier. |
| snappiness | Posted – 5/19/2008 1:42:07 PM | show profile GD - good advice. Unless you are willing to throw yourself 110% every day into journalism, live cheap and take big risks, you're not going to make it. Get out of NY, unless you have connections you're probably not going to get a job in journalism there right now. |
| writesonwater | Posted – 5/19/2008 1:45:10 PM | show profile | email poster You do need to be willing to move. And I can tell you as the parent of grown kids, a parent who's willing to let you take up valuable space at home in NYC may be just as happy to spring you $1,500 to relo. NYC is the toughest journalism market in the country. It's not for the faint of heart, nor for most beginners. More experienced people than you are tilting at those windmills. I wouldn't say your qualifications don't matter, I'd say you need to get some experience under your belt (and make the most of it.) Go to the hinterlands and write your heart out like you're writing for one of the best papers in the country. YOU are the only way you are going to get good clips. ------ http://writingporch.blogspot.com/ http://jlouiselarson.blogspot.com/ http://familyrootsandwings.blogspot.com/ |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 5/19/2008 1:50:23 PM | show profile Well, first, you have to realize we're in a recession. I know people in many fields who lost their jobs and took years to find another. What you have to do is be creative and hustle. For example, go to small papers and offer to cover town meetings in the evening for $10 a story. That might not lead to a job right away, but it will help you get experience and make connections. |
| WordyBird | Posted – 5/19/2008 2:22:30 PM | show profile "If you can't scrape together $1,500 by the end of summer to move somewhere, seriously consider relocating to a Third World country. " Even assuming that the OP has nothing to actually move, like furniture, it costs a LOT more than $1,500 to move. Most places require first and last month's rent. Okay, perhaps in a much smaller city, in a completely furnished group house with four other people, the OP might be able to get away with $500 a month rent plus utilities. Take out first and last month's rent and that leaves only $500 with which to get up (transportation), hook up (utilities), start up (groceries, gas), meet up (temp agencies, interviews, networking), actually get a job, and get the first paycheck of said job. I think that's a little bit unrealistic for anyone in an urban situation. |
| WordyBird | Posted – 5/19/2008 2:38:13 PM | show profile "The car doesn't need to be fancy. Any running beater will do at first. So budget yourself a couple of thousand for a car, and take pride in the fact that it's yours. As you accumulate money from paychecks, you can get a better car -- figure six months to a year." Exactly. Just a little bit of experience here, as my man is a gearhead and I picked up my car from one of his friends, who got it at auction: You'll need at least $2,000 for a car, even a beater. Anything less than that will require enough work right off the bat to make it more of a pain than it's worth. I picked up a '96 Nissan Altima for about $2,500. It's mine, it's paid for, and it's doing all right with GREAT gas mileage (28 mpg, congested suburban driving), but I have put about $1,400 into it for parts and labor since I got it in September, and as with most older cars, I have to baby it with mid-grade, brand-name gas, which is a little more expensive than regular, no-name gas. (The cheap stuff gives it problems with knocking.) Just saying. After having recently done a move from expensive (D.C.) to less expensive (Long Island), I'd say it's safest to go with at least $5,000, if you're just putting yourself on a plane and going. |
